


Of Tiaras and Drama Queens

by thevalesofanduin



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, Drama, Just lots of drama, M/M, but in a fun way, pageant AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-15 06:51:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13025568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thevalesofanduin/pseuds/thevalesofanduin
Summary: Based off ofthis (freaking amazing) Tumblr postwhere Leonard McCoy is a flamboyantly gay hairdresser, Jim Kirk is a male beauty pageant contestant and they meet when Leonard is hired to do Jim’s hair for the competition and love — and drama — is in the air.





	Of Tiaras and Drama Queens

**Author's Note:**

> did this get out of hand? Probably….   
> Do I mind? Not at all! I had a blast writing this!

Jim is a dramatic guy, all right?

You don’t become Mr. Iowa – _four_ times in a row, thank you very much – and runner-up for Mr. USA by being _boring_.

He’s got style, looks, a winning mentality and _flair_.

So what he _doesn’t_ need at a pageant is more drama. Especially not from his hair dresser. Which is why he switched, because while Rose was a nice enough girl she also came with a whole bunch of Drama™ that Jim just _can’t_ handle on pageant-day.

So now he’s sitting in his hotel room with more bags under his eyes than the amount he actually brought with him and bed-hair from hell, waiting for Leonard. Leonard is, apparently, a hairdresser from Georgia with some good recommendations. But Jim mainly picked the guy because Leonard sounds like an old dude’s name and, well, he _needs_ to just _not_ have drama right now.

Especially not with the amount of competition this year.

Spock is back again after having left the pageant-scene for almost two years – rumor has it his father had a hand in that – and his sleek, almost graceful beauty is always something to look out for. Plus there’s a newcomer. Jim caught a glimpse of him when he checked in at the reception last night and Pavel Chekov definitely looks the part of the cute, wide-eyed, curly-haired young boy that Jim’s sure some of the jury will take a liking to.

A knock to his door announces what must be Leonard’s arrival and Jim quickly makes his way over to let the other in.

When he opens the door, however, for a moment Jim can do nothing but stand there and blink. Leonard is _at least_ twenty years younger than Jim’s expectations and if ever someone has been Jim’s _type_ , they’re nothing compared to this man. Because standing in front of him with canted hips, neatly slicked hair and wearing an only half done up black button-up with white roses stands one of the most gorgeous men Jim’s ever seen.

Leonard’s grin disappears the moment his eyes fall on Jim though. “You sure you’re ready for that pageant? You look like death warmed over.”

Jim frowns because that’s just _rude_. “Excuse you.”

“Just stating the obvious,” Leonard says, raising an eyebrow and giving Jim a pointed look. “But at least there’s a gorgeous face hiding under all of...” Leonard trails off for a moment before waving a dismissive hand at Jim, “this.”

Jim has to admit he feels embarrassed because normally he does look better. So as Leonard marches into his hotel room and he closes the door, he admits that: “I had a horrible night.” It’s the truth, although there have been a _lot_ of horrible nights lately but that’s none of Leonard’s business..

“Obviously,” Leonard mutters and puts his bag down on Jim’s bed. He turns to Jim and sighs like he’s suffering greatly before waving at the chair in front of the mirror. “Ok sugar, get in the chair. I need to perform a miracle here and don’t have all day.”

 

\---

 

Jim doesn’t win any prize that pageant which Leonard points out isn’t due to _his_ performance.

And he’s right.

Outspoken, sassy and handsome Leonard’s _also_ better with Jim’s hair – and makeup, because really you can’t go on stage _without_ touching up – than anyone else he’s met. So _of course_ Jim asks if Leonard wants to stay on-board as Jim’s hair dresser - which is a terrible idea because Jim knows Leonard’s type, knows he’ll fall for him in a matter of _weeks_.

And at the question, Leonard just rolls his eyes and says yes. Or well, he says “sugar, you’d be _lost_ without me,” and part of Jim goes _yes, yes, yes_ while another part of him goes _no, no, no_.

But he asked and Leonard said yes so that’s that and so two weeks later they’re in another hotel room. The place is _stuffed_ because somehow it was decided it would be good if they roomed together for efficiency and yes, they have separate beds but Jim still isn’t sure if he feels blessed or doomed.

He’ll be honest, though, that when he wakes up just in time to see a shirtless Leonard make his way to the bathroom he just feels _aroused_.

Leonard takes a long shower which gives Jim just about enough time to will down his erection – he is _not_ going to masturbate right there when Leonard can walk in on him, thanks very much – and actually get out of bed. He’s just put on his newest pair of skinny dress pants and as he stands in front of the mirror to check how they look Leonard comes out of the bathroom.

Jim looks up and sees the other leant against the doorway, his eyes openly trailing down Jim’s body with obvious appreciation. Then he raises his eyes to Jim’s and in a low, husky Georgia drawl murmurs: “your ass in those pants is a sin, darlin’.”

That voice and accent _do_ things to Jim and he can’t help but place a hand on his hip, push it out slightly as he smirks at Leonard. “Like what you see then?”

Leonard huffs and raises an eyebrow at Jim. “As if your gorgeous face isn’t all over the internet.”

Jim laughs and winks at Leonard. “So you agreed to do this ‘cause you wanted to see my pretty face in real life?”

“Oh sugar, no,” Leonard drawls and shakes his head. Then, though, his expression softens and he gives Jim an almost gentle smile as he admits: “I agreed to this ‘cause I wanted to see what was _behind_ that pretty face.”

Jim is absolutely _speechless_. Being in pageants people don’t look a lot further than his looks despite the fact there’s more to pageants than _just_ looks – look at Mr. World where men are expected to also know languages, sports, it’s obviously about more than just a pretty face and muscles. Even people in the scene generally don’t look further than someone’s physical attributes and there are hardly any people that take the time to get to know Jim the person rather than Jim the face. Let alone make an effort.

But here is Leonard, the flamboyant hair dresser that couldn’t be _more_ gay even if he tried and he wants to know _Jim_?

He frowns because he can deal with people recognizing him but he doesn’t quite know how to deal with _this_. “You uh… like it so far?”

At the question, Leonard’s eyes twinkle. “Well _of course_.”

 

\---

 

There’s a costume change between the first and second round of today’s pageant and by the time Jim gets backstage it’s a mess already. Clothes everywhere, gel and hairspray everywhere and there’s too many people in a too small space.

He’s wedged between Leonard and a wall as the other tries to re-arrange his hair mumbling about “infants that can’t stop touching their hair” all the way.

“It’s a nervous gesture,” Jim protests weakly.

“How many years have you been doing this?” Leonard asks and for a moment pushes at Jim’s chin so he can look Jim in the eye. “You’ve got _nothing_ to be nervous about.”

“He’s got a lot to be nervous about,” someone speaks up from Jim’s right.

His eyes snap up straight away and he’s not sure how he feels seeing Nyota Uhura again. Her being Spock’s hair dresser – his main competition before Spock went on his sabbatical – is one thing but on top of that she’s got a tongue as sharp as her scissors and Jim _has_ been on the cutting side before. He both respects and fears her a little and for her to make a comment like that…

“Back for two weeks and already back to running the show?” he snarks back but he can’t really deny her words.

With his recent losing streak, he _is_ nervous.

Or rather, he’s worried.

For the first time in his life he is questioning his participation in pageants and it’s upsetting, really. He doesn’t even get along with his mother well enough to let her opinion and disdain make him doubt what he’s doing but well, here he is.

“Oh please,” Hikaru Sulu chimes in from Jim’s other side, where the man is working on Pavel’s curls. “Everyone can see you’re not on top of your game.”

Jim bristles. “We all have our bad days or weeks, at least I’ve been around the past _years_.”

“Sometimes one needs to step away for a while to get a new point of view,” Spock says and raises an elegant eyebrow at Jim.

Jim doesn’t reply.

 

\---

 

Jim doesn’t win a single price that pageant.

Nor the next, or the next, or the next.

It’s now been five months since he’s won a pageant and three since he met Leonard and he’s getting desperate.

For more things than just a title.

Because he _knew_ he’d fall for Leonard and now he is in this part of limbo where you think the other returns your feelings but you haven’t quite worked up the guts to actually confirm that yet.

So it’s longing glances, teasing conversations and lingering touches from both sides and, apparently, sexual tension if he is to believe Nyota.

Because one day as she passes him by in the hallway she says: “you know, if you’d just do yourself and all of us a favor and get it on with your hairdresser you might actually get your focus back.”

“Didn’t know you cared, Ny!” Jim chirps in reply.

Nyota just rolls her eyes and keeps walking but inside Jim’s head, the gears are turning and for once he’s actually considering that maybe he should tell Leonard about his feelings.

But when he comes back to the hotel room to get ready for the first round, Leonard’s sitting on the bed and the look on his face says he’s got something to say.

And it doesn’t look _good_.

Jim gets nervous the moment he closes the door and choses to lean against the wall rather than go over to Leonard.

“What’s up?” he asks, his mind in a panic. Is Leonard going to say he doesn’t want to be his hairdresser anymore? It certainly feels like it.

Leonard makes a face before he sighs and raises his eyes to the ceiling. “I’m saying this because I care, ok?” he turns his eyes Jim. “But something is wrong.”

Jim frowns, crosses his arms in front of his chest because this sounds like it’s going to be about _him_ and he’s not sure he likes that.

“I’ve been following your career for a while. Eyes like yours, you drew me in even from a picture. You’re _good_ , sugar. Good at pageants, good at the game and you’re in it to win it,” Leonard says and his voice is full of admiration and a bit of pride.

Jim waits almost breathlessly to find out where Leonard is going with this, his heart beating wildly in his chest at what the other’s admission might mean.

Leonard frowns. “But it almost feels like you’re not out to win anymore,” he looks at Jim and his eyebrows are drawn together in worry and confusion. “What happened?”

Jim huffs, tries to hide his nervousness and insecurity at being forced to think about the one thing he’s been trying to push to the back of his mind. “Sorry to disappoint,” Jim shrugs. “Should’ve said if you’d just signed on to see me win I could’ve saved you your time.”

Leonard’s expression falls and he shakes his head, looking disappointed. Hurt. “You know that’s not why I’m here.”

Jim lowers his eyes, unable to look at Leonard. “Yea, you’re here to get to know me. Well here we are,” he laughs humorlessly and waves a hand at himself. “This is me. Sad and pathetic, wasting my degree in engineering by prancing around on a stage and smiling prettily at anyone who asks.”

“Who told you that?” Leonard demands and gets up from the bed, strides over to Jim and puts his hands on the other’s shoulders. “Who told you those lies? You _love_ being on that stage. You’re _good_ at it. You’re not wasting _anything_.”

Jim huffs. “According to my mom I’m wasting my _life_.” He lets his head fall back against the wall. “We’re not even that close, we can hardly have a conversation and I’m letting her words bother me. It’s not pageants that are pathetic, I am.”

Leonard taps Jim’s chin to get the other to look at him. “You’re not pathetic,” he says and then raises an eyebrow. “But you _are_ a drama queen.”

Jim blinks. “What?”

Now it’s Leonard’s turn to huff. “Honey, if you think for a second that my Papa wanted me to be anything other than a doctor you’re wrong,” he shakes his head. “But sometimes you gotta do what’s good for you instead of what’s good for others.”

Jim takes a deep breath and nods. “Okay,” he mumbles because Leonard’s right. _He is right_. It’s _his_ life and he has support here. Friends. And now, Leonard.

He doesn’t need his mother’s approval.

“Good,” Leonard smiles and leans in to press a quick kiss against Jim’s cheek. Before Jim can get himself out of his stupor, though, Leonard has already turned around and is swinging his hands around: “now get changed and get in that chair, your eyes are all read now and I’ll have to do your makeup _too_ because we both know you don’t know your primer from your foundation.”

 

\---

 

“I got something to tell you after this,” Jim blurts right before he’s due to go on stage and Leonard’s doing some last-minute fussing with his hair.

It’s the _worst_ moment ever, Jim realizes but after their conversation in his room about his mom earlier that day he just feels like he _has_ to tell Leonard. Because with how they are with each other, it can’t be that this sassy, grumpy guy doesn’t feel the same way Jim does.

Leonard raises an eyebrow and his lips quirk up in amusement. “Sure. But first, you’re gonna go out there and knock ‘m dead,” he says and then points a finger at Jim with a warning look. “And I swear to the Lord if you touch your hair one more time I’ll jump on that stage and murder you with one of my scissors.”

Jim hops onto the stage laughing and a few hours later he’s actually standing on the stage, next to their host Scotty holding a tiara because he _won_.

He did it.

Let the weight of his mother’s words fall off of his shoulders and actually enjoyed himself again and in return he won the title.

There’s some jealous faces in the crowd but more relieved ones. Spock, Nyota, Hikaru and even Pavel they all seem to be happy Jim’s back to his normal self despite all their rivalries.

And then there’s Leonard.

Leonard, who is standing next to the stage with that satisfied, smug look on his face with a proud twinkle in his eyes and looking at Jim as if he hung the stars himself.

And you know what, Jim thinks, why not now?

So he walks off the stage and directly up to Leonard who greets him with a grin.

“That’s _it_ , sugar. You did a fabulous job,” Leonard says in that low, Southern drawl of his.

“Couldn’t have done it without you,” Jim says before he pulls Leonard in and kisses him.

Leonard doesn’t hesitate for a second and puts his hands on Jim’s hips as he returns the kiss with as much passion and hunger as Jim.

And Jim thinks that it might not necessarily be _less_ drama but it’s not like he minds all that much.

Not while he’s having the living daylights kissed out of him by the man he’s fallen for while in the background, the crowd cheers.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Tumblr](http://thevalesofanduin.tumblr.com/) <3


End file.
